Best Business Rules Engines

In today's world, business rules are all around us and can be a crucial operational backbone of any technology company. A business rules engine is a software tool that allows users to define, execute, and manage the business rules that govern a specific application or system. These rules can include things like decision logic, constraints, and validation checks. Business rules engines are commonly used in areas such as e-commerce, fintech, marketplace operations, and healthcare to automate complex decision-making processes and ensure compliance with regulations. A few examples of how you can apply business rules to everyday workflows: 

• Set up an onboarding workflow e.g. send all new users who have not activated on your platform within 3 days a reminder email
• Flag a transaction for fraud e.g. send all payments > $10,000 to an analyst for manual review
• Issue a discount e.g find users of your platform who have spent more than $1000 last year and send them a special promotion
• Maintain systems operability e.g. alert if an external third-party API service your application relies on is down for more than 5 minutes

It's important to select the right business rules engine to empower operators at your company to quickly set up workflows to run your company as efficiently as possible. Let's take a look at a few popular rules engines you can select from.

LogicLoop

LogicLoop is a modern business rules engine that allows operators to quickly set up rules based on any company data. It does so by allowing users to connect their company's database, create rules on top of that data using the SQL, and have the results of that rule trigger any type of downstream alert, workflow, or automation. LogicLoop also supports complex multi-step workflows involving sophisticated custom logic, API data retrieval, and user communications e.g. via email. With LogicLoop, users get access to a central easy-to-use, web-based repository for rule management and collaboration. LogicLoop's visual interface allows non-engineers to quickly view and change business rules. Logicloop is also very flexible and integrates with a variety of platforms.

Pros:

• LogicLoop is very modern and up to date with the latest trends in database and programming technology. It can integrate with a variety of modern software services like Slack, PagerDuty, Asana, Zapier, and email, as well as a variety of modern databases such as MySQL, Postgres, Redshift, Snowflake and Big Query
• LogicLoop can be set up in as quickly as 15 minutes, and analysts can add or edit a new rule in as little as 5 minutes. LogicLoop's user interface is very intuitive and there's very little learning curve needed if users are already familiar with SQL.
• LogicLoop allows business users to build their own rules, workflows and automations without having to wait on engineers.
• LogicLoop is extremely flexible and capable of expressing very bespoke and complex business logic.
• LogicLoop features a collaborative interface and stores the history of all edits made and actions taken so you can easily test, maintain and audit your rules over time.

Cons:

• LogicLoop uses the SQL to build powerful rules, so if your analysts are not already familiar with SQL, this is something they will need to learn in order to take full advantage of LogicLoop.

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Drools

Drools is an open-source business rules management system (BRMS) written in Java. It is a rule engine that uses the Rete algorithm to efficiently evaluate complex sets of business rules against data. Drools provides a framework for separating business logic from the application code, which can make it easier to maintain and evolve the rules over time.

Drools allows users to author, test and maintain business rules in a single centralized repository and provides a web-based interface for rule management and testing. It can integrate with a variety of platforms and programming languages, and supports distributed deployment and decision-making.

Drools also provides a rule language called DRL (Drools Rule Language) for expressing rules, which is a simple and expressive language that allows developers to express complex business rules in a natural way. Drools also provides a rule engine API for Java, which can be used to execute rules in a Java-based application.

Pros:

• Drools allows business rules to be separated from the application code, which can make it easier to maintain and evolve the rules over time.
• Drools provides a flexible and reusable rule engine that can be integrated with a variety of platforms and programming languages.
• Drools uses DRL (Drools Rule Language) for expressing rules, which is simple and expressive, and allows developers to express complex business rules in a natural way.

Cons:

• There are limited resources and documentation available for Drools, which can make it difficult for developers to find solutions to problems they encounter.
• Drools doesn't have any built-in security features, which means that it is the developer's responsibility to implement security features.
• Drools is open-source and the support is limited compared to commercial rule engines like IBM Operational Decision Manager.

IBM Operational Decision Manager

IBM Operational Decision Manager (ODM) is a software platform that helps organizations automate and manage their business rules and decisions. It provides a set of tools for creating, testing, deploying, and managing business rules and decision services, and allows organizations to make real-time, data-driven decisions in their operational systems. ODM also provides features for collaboration, governance, and compliance, and it can be integrated with other IBM products such as IBM Watson and IBM Integration Bus. It can be used across a variety of industries and business scenarios.

Pros:

• ODM allows organizations to make decisions in real-time, based on live data, which can help them respond quickly to changing business conditions.
• ODM provides features for collaboration, governance, and compliance, which can help organizations ensure that their business rules and decisions are in line with industry regulations and standards.
• ODM can be integrated with other IBM products such as IBM Watson and IBM Integration Bus, which can provide additional capabilities and insights.

Cons:

• ODM can be complex to set up and manage, and may require specialized knowledge and skills.
• ODM can be extremely expensive to implement and maintain, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.
• ODM has limited flexibility may not be able to handle all types of business rules and decision-making scenarios.

InRule

InRule is a commercial business rule management system (BRMS) that allows organizations to separate and manage business rules from their application code. InRule provides a platform for authoring, testing, and deploying business rules using a web-based interface.

InRule provides a rule language called irVerse, which is a rule language that allows developers to express complex business rules in a natural way. It also provides a rule engine API for .NET and Java, which can be used to execute rules in a .NET or Java-based application.

InRule provides a centralized repository for storing and managing rules and provides a web-based interface for rule management and testing. It also provides features such as rule versioning, auditing, and impact analysis. Additionally, InRule provides integration with popular data sources and platforms such as SQL Server, Oracle, and Salesforce.

InRule is used by various organizations across different industries including healthcare, financial services, and insurance. It can be integrated with various applications including web, mobile, and desktop.

Pros:

• InRule provides a centralized repository for authoring, testing, and maintaining business rules, which can make it easier to manage and track changes to the rules over time.
• InRule provides a web-based interface for managing and testing rules, which can be useful for non-technical users.
• InRule can integrate with various data sources such as SQL Server, Oracle, and Salesforce.
• InRule is a commercial product, which means that it comes with technical support and documentation.

Cons of using InRule include:

• Limited integration: InRule may not integrate with all data sources and platforms.
• Limited Flexibility: InRule is only available for .NET and Java and does not support integration with other programming languages.

FlexRule

FlexRule is a business rule management system (BRMS) and decision management platform. It provides a set of tools for creating, testing, deploying, and managing business rules and decision services, and allows organizations to make real-time, data-driven decisions in their operational systems. FlexRule offers a visual rule designer, a flow designer and a decision table designer to create and design the decision services. It is designed to be easy to use, with a focus on making it accessible to non-technical users. It can be integrated with various systems, such as databases, web services, and cloud services. It can be used in a variety of industries and business scenarios, such as financial services, healthcare, and government.

Pros:

• FlexRule is designed to be easy to use, with a focus on making it accessible to non-technical users, which can help organizations to automate decision-making processes and rules quickly and easily.
• FlexRule provides a visual rule designer, which can help users create and manage business rules and decision services more easily.
• FlexRule can be integrated with various systems, such as databases, web services, and cloud services, which can help organizations to access and use data from different sources.

Cons:

• FlexRule has limited scalability and may not be able to handle very large volumes of data or high-frequency decision-making.
• FlexRule may have limited support options, which may make it difficult to get help with certain issues or problems.
• FlexRule can be expensive to implement and maintain, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

Trying to decide which business rules engine is best for you? Sign up for a free consultation with LogicLoop and we're happy to walk you though the evaluation process.